[243] MTSU ROTC commissions three cadets as military officers

MURFREESBORO — Three MTSU military science ROTC cadets became second lieutenants Friday (Dec. 12) during the annual fall commissioning ceremony inside the Keathley University Center Theater.

2nd Lts. Chenequa Godette of La Vergne, Tennessee, and Manychanh Kittirath of Antioch, Tennessee, will be serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, while 2nd Lt. Teana Harle of Murfreesboro will serve in the Tennessee Army National Guard. All are scheduled to graduate Saturday at MTSU’s fall commencement ceremonies.

• Godette is graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in entrepreneurship. Her parents are Walter Godette of Havelock, North Carolina, and Felicia Hansford of Madison, Mississippi.

• Harle is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Her parents are John and Geri Cintrol, and her husband is 2nd Lt. Scott Harle of Murfreesboro.

• Kittirath is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Studies. Her parents are Xay and Vone Kittirath of Antioch, Tennessee.

All three cadets of the Blue Raider Battalion have met and/or surpassed their ROTC requirements to become second lieutenants. They were sworn in by U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joel Miller, MTSU professor of military science, who applauded the cadets “not only for completing the rigorous requirements of earning a college degree, but who have also answered the call to serve our nation as officers in the military.”

Friday’s guest speaker, U.S. Army Sgt. 1^st Class John Cintron, had a personal connection to the ceremony, as he is the proud father of Teana Harle, who presented him with a special gift from the battalion following his remarks.

Cintron, who has served multiple combat tours overseas and for a time was a Rutherford County sheriff’s deputy, told the cadets that he hoped they didn’t have to see combat during their military careers, but urged them to be prepared as leaders nonetheless.

“Because whether it be in war or peace, your actions will be what others will remember most about you,” said Cintron, now an instructor for the officer candidate school company of the 3^rd Battalion, 117^th Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard.

“You will be expected to take action, to make decisions, to solve a situation,” he said. “You’re now one of the key players in the military family.”

The Department of Military Science is in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/arotc1/.